Living without the Gods

Shaurya Kumar’s exhibition Living without the Gods delves into the intersection of iconoclasm, cultural destruction, and the transient nature of sacredness. Kumar’s work critically examines the illicit trade and looting of religious artifacts, particularly focusing on the impact of theft on local communities. Drawing inspiration from real-world cases like Subhash Kapoor’s smuggling of antique idols, the exhibition reflects on the loss of divinity when sacred objects are displaced or destroyed. Through a combination of digital technology, printmaking, and sculpture, Kumar reconstructs historical narratives, urging the viewer to reflect on the erasures and dislocations within art history. His approach embodies a dialogue between the past and the present, exploring how history is preserved, altered, or erased in contemporary contexts.
Key works in the exhibition include It’s Mine, No It’s Mine, Now It’s Yours, No It’s Ours, Now It’s Missing!, a piece that captures the fate of looted artifacts through 3D printed sculptures and a handwoven chausar board. A Case of the Broken Hands, evokes the emotional toll of cultural destruction through 3D sculptures of broken hands, referencing the fragmented relics of India’s colonial past. Kumar’s collaboration with Rajasthani painter Raja Ram Sharma in creating miniatures in the Basohli and Kangra style is a striking element of the exhibition. These miniatures depict divine spaces absent of their deities, symbolizing the void left by stolen or destroyed sacred objects.